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These few weeks that are nestled right in between Thanksgiving and Christmas day are always the busiest weeks of the year for our family, no doubt about it. Just when I think I can’t squeeze anything else into my calendar, one more event pops up that I really want to attend, so I buckle down, shift gears and do everything I can to make sure our holiday season is a holly jolly one! But it often comes at the price of feeling a little lackadaisical by mid-morning each day, and my creativity tends to tank when it comes to preparing meals for my family that are quick, delicious and simple.

I think it’s easy to get your brain fixated on all-things holiday when it comes to cooking during this time of year. Thanksgiving wraps up my brain with turkey, dressing, casseroles and pumpkin flavored everything, while Christmas makes me focus on holiday baking, sweet confections, visions of sugarplums and fulfilling my annual goal of  slurping the last of the eggnog in the carton before anyone else gets to it. My mind can get so jumbled up with all of the things going on around me, that I tend to over-complicate our meals when there is really no need to do that at all. Sometimes, simple is best. Sometimes, simple is exactly what you need!

In the midst of all of this week’s festivities, I was on the hunt for something that could be eaten on the go if needed, or could be put together in a jiffy as a light lunch or snack. Chicken salad has always been one of my go-to meals because of it’s simplicity, and my Cranberry-Avocado Chicken Salad absolutely hit the spot yesterday during our lunch break! There are so many different ways you can make chicken salad, and so far I’ve loved every single way that I’ve tried! It’s a refreshing twist to use a creamy avocado in place of the typical mayo binder in this chicken salad, and the tartness from the cranberries paired with the crunch from the walnuts make this combination one for the books!

The true shining star of this dish is WHOLLY® SIMPLY AVOCADO™ Sea Salt, as it provides a creamy goodness in the chicken salad that can’t be obtained by cutting open and mashing up regular avocado. Truth be told, picking out the perfect avocado can be quite tricky. Avocado’s have a very short window of time that they maintain their ripeness. Most of the time that I peruse the produce section to pick out an avocado, they’re either days away from being ready to consume, or they should have been consumed two days ago. Choosing SIMPLY AVOCADO™ takes all of the fuss out of obtaining the perfect avocado by preparing and packaging it into a convenient container that is easy to grab and go!

WHOLLY® SIMPLY AVOCADO™ is available in the refrigerated produce section at your local Walmart, and in addition to the sea salt variety, it also comes in Garlic Herb. It’s a pure and wholesome dip and spread with minimal flavor enhancing ingredients, and the ingredients listing on the back of the package reassures me that what I’m eating is simply avocados with a touch of sea salt added. Nothing more, and no yucky fillers to worry about!

I simply mixed a package of WHOLLY® SIMPLY AVOCADO™ Sea Salt with all of my other chicken salad ingredients and bada bing, bada boom! I had the perfect light lunch in the midst of a chaotic week. I felt like I was eating a little slice of heaven with each bite I took. I decided to eat mine on apple slices, but this would also be nice with crackers, as a sandwich or a wrap, or all by itself!Here’s a free printable copy of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

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Cranberry-Avocado Chicken Salad

Author: Southern Made Simple

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chicken shredded (If you're in a time crunch, use a canned variety!)
• 1 8 oz package WHOLLY® SIMPLY AVOCADO™ Sea Salt
• 1 apple peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans finely chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2 Tbs mayonaise use Greek yogurt in place of mayo if desired
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

• Using a food processor, quickly pulse 2 cups cooked chicken a few times until chicken reaches the consistency you prefer for chicken salad
• Combine shredded chicken, 1 package WHOLLY® SIMPLY AVOCADO™ Sea Salt, diced apple, nuts, cranberries, mayo and lemon juice in a large bowl
• Serve cold on top of sliced apples, with crackers, in a tortilla shell or on bread
• Store leftovers in an air tight container

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Do you find yourself needing something quick and simple during the hustle and bustle of this busy time of year? Give your brain a break from all of the holiday cooking and simplify your life with the goodness and happiness of WHOLLY®! It’s a perfect addition to chicken salad, to eat as a pairing with other meals, or to enjoy completely on it’s own! Swing by your local Walmart and pick up a package or two to enjoy, and give this simple Cranberry-Avocado Chicken Salad recipe a try!